Stave-finishing machine



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STAVB PINISHING MACHINE.

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(No Model.)

W. MERRILL.. sTAvB EINISHING MAGHINB.

Patented Apr. 25.1893.

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W. MERRILL. STAVB FINISHING MAGHINE.

Patented Apr. 25, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

WILLIAM MERRILL, OF EAST SAGINAV, MICHIGAN.

STAVE-FINISHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,271, dated April 25, 1893.

Application filed November 18, 1889. Serial No. 330,655. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MERRILL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Eastl Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in stave-Finishing Machines; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specilication.

My invention relates to machines for finishing staves, and pertains especially to machines for carrying out a process or method of finishing each stave of a barrel separately, and so that the several staves of a barrel will be ot' a uniform dimension and contour, whereby a specified number of staves will be required to form a barrel, and the barrels will be of a uniform shape and dimension.

The irst part of my invention pertains to devices for clampingand retaining the staves stationary to the form which they will assume when placed in a barrel While they are inished by crozing and chamfering the ends, and properly jointing the edges thereof.

The second part of the invention relates to devices for performing the crozing and charnfering portion of the nishing operation while the stave is held stationary by the clamping devices.

The third part of the invention relates to the devices for performing the jointing portion of the stave finishing operation while the stave is still retained stationary bythe clamping devices.

The invention consists in the combination, arrangement, construction and operation of the several parts and elements which are assembled together to complete the machine and which I will here-in-after definitely explain and which will be specifically pointed out in the claims. l p

The objects of this invention are first to provide devices whereby staves liiayl be automatically finished to a uniform shape'and dimension, Wherebya designated number of the staves will form a barrel of a stated size, and

the barrels will be of a uniform dimension' and contour.

Another object is to arrange and construct a machine for finishing staves to a uniform size and contour, whereby the operations of crozing, and chamfering the ends, and jointing the edges to a proper form may be quickly and easily performed in conjunction and by one operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for finishing staves in proper form for a barrel by crozing and chamfering the ends and jointing the edges to bring the staves to a uniform dimension and contour so that the staves will be adapted for use in ay shaft journaled in bones b, on the frame and is provided with a `suitable means, as a gear Wheel, whereby, a rotary motion is imparted thereto. I

Upon the central portion of the shaft a',- is mounted a cam ,wheel b', and c is a rod or Fig. 4, is a vertical longitudinal seoplunger, supported centrally on the-machine frame by a box c', and is provided on its rear end with a roller d, bearing against the face of the cam b', while' its opposite end is provided with a longitudinal opening d', carrying on its inner portion a heavy coiled spring @and e is an extension of the plunger c, with its rear end Within the opening d', and against the spring e, while its outer end is arranged with a bearing f, tted to rest against the projection f', of the movable clamp jaw g. This jaw g, is' pla ced across the machine frame and is provided on its front side with a form g',

which is secured thereto in any convenient manner and is arranged to conform both 1ongitudinally and transversely tothe form which IOO the inner side of a barrel or keg stave would have when placed in position in the barrel; and the jaw g, is supported by the vertical piece h, which is pivotally secured to the frame by the transverse shaft h', while the upper or opposite end thereof is bolted at t', to the rear side of the jaw.

fi', is a coiled spring with one end secured to the central portion of the piece 7L, and with its opposite end secured to the rear portion of the frame, at j, and is arranged to draw backwardly on the piece 7L, and jaw g, and to hold the roller d, in contact with the cam.

j, is a stationary or opposing jaw having the forwardly projecting portion la, resting upon the plate It', which is placed across the machine and is secured by its opposite ends to the sides of the frame. This portion k, is provided with the transverse slots Z, and Z', are bolts passed through the slots and into the plate k', to allow an adjustment of the jaw to be made, and m, is a rib projecting upwardly from the surface of the plate 7c', and m', are adjusting screws passed through the rib and with their inner ends projecting against the outer edge of the projecting portion k, whereby a proper adjustment of the jaw can be made in relation to the jaw g.

The inner side or face of the jaw j', is provided with a form n, secured thereto in any convenient manner, and the face of the form is arranged to conform to the transverse and longitudinal curvature of the outer side of a.

barrel stave when placed in position in the barrel.

n', is a bed piece placed across the machine beneath the jaws g, and j', and is supported by the outer ends of the arms 0, which are pivoted to the opposite lateral edges of the piece JL, at o', and p, are springs with one end secured to the opposite or inner ends of the arms o, and with their opposite ends secured to the piece h, and operating to raise the bed piece fn', to a proper position beneath the jaws, but to allow it to recede slightly if required for the purpose which I shall presently explain.

p', are lugs projecting from the inner sides of the arms o, and through these lugs are passed the adjusting screws q, with their inner ends bearing against the side of the piece h, and operate to regulate the position of the bed piece in relation to the jaws.

Upon the shaft ct', and in proximity to the boxes b, are mounted the cam wheels q', provided on their outer side faces with the cam grooves lr; and 7" are sliding heads suitably supported in slides s, secured to the frame and are provided on their rear portions with a roller s', projecting into the cam grooves r, while t is a portion of the head projecting forwardly and resting upon the slides u2, and upon the upper side of this portion t, are adjustably secured the boxes t; and fu, are adj nstin g screws passing through threaded openings in the heads r', and are arranged with their ends secured to the ends of the boxes if',

for adjusting the position thereof, upon the portion t.

et is a shaft journaled in the boxes t', and provided with a suitable pulley for imparting rotary motion thereto, and /v are disks mounted upon the shaft near the ends thereof and are of a diameter nearly coincident with the diameter of the head of the barrel to be made, and are provided on their peripheries with suitable cutters u', having edges arranged to forin the necessary croze and chamfer on the ends of the stave, the disks being located on the shaft in accordance with the length of the stave.

To the upper and lower portions of the heads r', are secured, by suitable variable joint connections, one end of the connecting rods w, and w', and the opposite ends of these rods extending beyond the clamping jaws are secured by variable connections to the knife heads a,and b. These knife heads extend across the machine and are supported by their ends resting in the upper inclined slides c, and the lower inclined slides CZ, while to the front portion of the heads and projecting forwardly therefrom are secured the jointing knives e", and f. These inclined slides c, and d ,are arranged in relation to each other to conform to the radial lines of the barrel to be made, and extend rearwardly beyond the shaft u', and are provided on their rear end portions with the slots g, and h, and t, are bolts passed through the slots g, and h, and also through a horizontal slot j, formed in the sides of the machine frame, the several slots allowing the bolt t', to be properly adjusted to coincide with the center of the barrel to be made, while the outer ends of the slides are held in position by the bolts 7s, and Z, passed through slots m, and n, in the frame a, and through the slides, and with the nuts o, and p, on their inner ends, while the outer ends of these bolts are provided with head portions q, and r, provided with vertical screw threaded openings through which are passed the right and left threaded end portions of the adjusting rod s, which, when the nuts on the inner sides of the slides are loosened, allows an adjustment of the slide to be made to or from each other to regulate the width of the stave to be cut.

The knife heads a, and b, are provided in the portions resting in the slides c, and d, with slots t, inclined in the same direction, and fu, are bolts or pins passed vertically through the upper and lower portions of the slides and through the inclined slots, so that as the knife heads are reciprocated they will be guided by the slots and pinsin a diagonal direction so as to operate in the Wood with a sliding or shearing cut.

In operating the machine, suitable rotary motion is imparted to the shaft u', and the disks carrying the cutters, also to the shaft ct', carrying the cam wheels. As the cam D', is revolved with the roller cl, resting against the lower portion (t3, of its periphery, the

IOO

clamp jaw g, is held by the spring p, in a position away from the stationary jaw j', to permit a stave h3, to be placed betweenthe jaws with its lower edge resting upon the bed piece n', and as the inclined portion c3, of the cam passes over the roller the plunger and clamp are pushed forward, and the stave is bent by the clamp jaws to the form it assumes when placed in a barrel, and is held in this position while the high portion cl3, is passing the roller. In the meantime the cam grooves r, are so formed and arranged in re-A lation to the cam b', that when the stave is clamped and held in position by the high portion d3, the portion e3, of the grooves operates upon the rollers s', to propel the heads r', forward and move the disks fu, and the cutters against the inner or concave side of the stave and shape the ends thereof with the proper croze and chamfer, the knife heads, of course receding as the disks are moved forward, and as the portion f3, of the grooves operates upon the rollers, a reverse action on the heads obtains, and the disks are drawn away from the stave while the knives c, and f, are drawn toward the stave and passing above and below the clamp, slice off and remove the portions of the stave'which project beyond their lines of movement, the slots t, with the pins e, imparting to the knives a movement which provides a shearing cutl as the knives pass through the stave, while the bed piece n' recedes to permit the knifef to pass beneath the jaws, the spring p, being arranged so as to support the bed piece and stave in proper position while the stave is being clamped, and to allow the bed piece to be crowded downwardly by the knife which passes between the bed piece and clamp, or by the portion of the stave which is removed by the knife. The cut upon the stave being made, the rollers s', have then reached the outwardly inclined portion g3, of the cam grooves, and as this portion passes over the rollers the heads fr', are moved again in the opposite direction, which recedes the knives from the stave, until the rollers reach the portion h3, of the grooves which being of a uniform distance from the shaft allows the heads to remain at rest during its passage over the rollers, and as this portion h3, reaches the rollers s', the cam b', has then revolved .till the inclined portion i3, has reached. the rollerd, and the spring p, on the further revolution. of the cam causes the roller to move to the low portion a3, of the cam, and the spring t then recedes the clamping jaw g, which then remains at rest and-allows the finished stave to be removed and another placed in position on the bed, while the low portion as, is in contact with the roller el, and while the uniform portions of the grooves, are passing over the rollers s.

As the staves operated upon sometimes vary in thickness, the spring e, is kplaced in position to compensate for any inequalities of the staves being clamped, the spring, however, being of sufficient rigidity t0 properly eect the bending and clampingoperation.

It will be seen, of course, that by clamping Vthe stave in the form it 'will assume when placed in a barrel and then cutting the edges thereof simultaneously in a direction coincident with the radial lines of the barrelto be made, the joints between the staves when set up in a barrel will be uniform and the stavesr Y will have a bearing against each other from end to end and from side to side, and with'the crozing and chamfering done while the stave is in this position has the same effect as if these l'operations were performed after the staves were set in a barrel; and the staves being of a uniform size and contour, the staves iinished by this machine are especially fitted for use in a machine which assembles vthe staves into a barrel, and completes the barrel by placing in position thereon, suitable heads and hoops which are of a uniform dimension, and it is evident that while the operation of finishing the staves, requires but little manual labor when performed with the machine, a

much better andv more perfect barrel is produced when the machine fitted staves are used.. It will also be noticed that, while the several parts of the machine are made adjustable by the slots, bolts, and adjusting screws before described, these parts could be omitted and the several adjustable portions permanently fixed and the machine adapted Y to making staves suitable for one size of barrel or keg only, if desired, the chamfering, crozing and jointing operations being the. same. And- Ivwish it understood thatrI do not confine my invention entirely to the cam b', operating directly upon the plungerfor performing the clamping operation, as other devices may be interposed between these parts and the eect would be substantially the same, but

What I'clairn as my invention is- 1. In a machine for finishing staves, the combination of the jawsv for clamping and re. taining the stave in a fixed position, the rotary cutters located on one side of the said jaws for crozing and chamfering the ends of the stave, the knives locatedon the opposite side of the said jaws for jointing fthe'edges of the stave, and mechanism for moving the said cutters and knives to and from the said jaws for finishing the'stave without moving the blank, substantially as set forth. y

2. In a machine for finishing staves, the combination of the clamp for bending and retaining the stave stationary in the form it will assume when in a barrel, and mechanism yfor operating the clamp, with the revolving cutters for crozing and chamfering the ends IOO of the bent stave, the knives moving onthe radial lines of a barrel for lsimultaneously jointing the opposite edges of the stave while y it is held stationary'by the clamps, andthe devices operating in conjunction with each other for imparting a reciprocating motion to the cutters and knives in unison, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for finishing staves, the combination with the clamping jaws for bending and retaining the stave stationary in the form it will assume when in a barrel, the rotary cutters for crozing and finishing the ends of the stave ready for a barrel, the jointing knives supported in slides for guiding the knives in converging lines on opposite sides of and transversely with the clamping jaws, with the reciprocating heads supporting the said cutters, the rods for connecting the heads with the jointing knives, and devices for imparting a reciprocating motion to the heads whereby the stave is finished complete while held stationary in the jaws, substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for finishing staves, the combination with the frame and the clamping jaws for bending, shaping and holding the stave, the disks carrying cutters and provided with a rotary motion, of the jointing knives supported in guide ways lying coincident with the radial lines of the barrel and transversely with the jaws, and devices substantially as described for simultaneously imparting a to and fro motion to the knives and rotary cutters, substantially as set forth.

5. In a stave finishing machine, the combination with the frame supporting clamping jaws for bending and holding the stave, of the slides c, and c, carrying jointing knives, and provided with the slots g, and h, on their inner end portions and crossing each other, the bolt i, passed through the said slots and through the sides of the frame, the bolts 7s, and s", passed through the frame and outer end portions of the slides, and provided with the heads q, and r, having screw threaded vertical openings, and the adjusting rod s, with its threaded end portions passed through the said bolt heads, substantially as set forth.

6. In a machine for `finishing staves, the combination with the frame, the knives supported on slides secured to the frame for guiding the knives in convergent lines coinciding with the radial lines of the barrel and devices for imparting a reciprocating motion to the knives, of the stationary clamping jaw supported bythe machine frame, a vertical standard pivotally secured by its lower end to the frame and carrying on its upper end a movable jaw opposing the said stationary jaw, a cam wheel and plunger for moving the jaw to clamp the stave and a spring for moving the jaw to release the stave, substantially as set or'h.

7. In a stave finishing machine, the combination with the machine frame carrying devices for clamping the stave, the knife heads carrying knives and supported by inclined guides secured to the frame, of the heads fr', resting in slides upon the frame, the connecting rods secured by one end to upper and lower portions of the heads r', and secured by their opposite ends to the upper and lower portions of the said knife heads, and devices .for imparting a reciprocating motion to the said heads i", substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM MERRILL. Witnesses:

G. P. THOMAS, JAs. E. THOMAS. 

